CU's Uzo-Diribe To Serve Coaching Internship With 49ers
July 24, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Chidera Uzo-Diribe knows his future is in football.
Exactly where and at what level, however, is still up in the air.
Uzo-Diribe, currently a Colorado graduate assistant, has been a part of college football as a player and coach for the better part of a decade. This year, he is getting the opportunity to dip his toes into NFL waters as part of the league's Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship program. Uzo-Diribe spent a week with the San Francisco 49ers during their late spring OTAs (organized training activities), and will be back with the Niners for the first week of their training camp over the next seven days.
"It's a great opportunity," said Uzo-Diribe, a four-year defensive line letterman for the Buffs (2010-13). "One, it's a chance to get more knowledge about the game of football. The college game and NFL game are very different and this gives me the opportunity to see the differences from the coaching perspective. Two, it's a chance to meet other coaches and talk with them, and continue to build networking connections as well."
Uzo-Diribe is entering his fourth year with the CU staff this season, his third as a defensive graduate assistant. But his ties to the Buffs go back to 2010, when he became part of a recruiting class that ended up a college football rarity, as many of its members ended up playing for three head coaches at CU: Dan Hawkins, Jon Embree and Mike MacIntyre.
Uzo-Diribe enjoyed a stellar career as a Buff, finishing tied for sixth on CU's all-time sack list (20), tied for 17th in tackles for loss (31) and second in forced fumbles (10). He signed a free agent deal with New Orleans following the 2014 draft, and after being among the team's final cuts, he returned to CU a year later to join MacIntyre's staff as a recruiting intern.
Now, he's doing everything possible to move his coaching career to the next phase, with the NFL's intern program providing a valuable stepping stone. His time with the Niners in the late spring gave him another perspective, one he will have the chance to expand when he attends the first week of San Francisco's training camp.
"It's good to network with some of the other NFL and college coaches there and pick their brains," Uzo-Diribe said. "But it's also valuable to see how an NFL organization is run. I've seen the college game as a player and coach, but to see their practices, their structure, and organizational approach and the differences between the college and pro game is really valuable. You can pick up a lot in a short amount of time."
There are plenty of familiar faces in the Niners' camp with whom Uzo-Diribe can connect. Former CU head coach Jon Embree is San Francisco's tight ends/assistant head coach, and his son Taylor Embree is an offensive quality control assistant. Another former CU grad assistant, T.C. McCartney, is currently on the Niners' staff, and San Francisco starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon is a former Buff who Uzo-Diribe came to know quite well when Witherspoon was developing into an NFL-caliber defensive back in Boulder.
"When I came back in 2015, I got to be close to Ahkello," Uzo-Diribe said. "It's crazy to see his growth. It's night and day from what he was when he got here to what he is today. He's carrying himself as a professional. He's bigger, he's sharp about the game — he's a pro. I really don't think it's going to be long before he becomes a household name in the game."
Since joining the CU coaching staff, Uzo-Diribe has become a valuable piece to the Buffs' puzzle, earning praise from MacIntyre for his preparation skills and thoroughness. Former Buff Jimmie Gilbert, who led the team in sacks in 2016, also credited Uzo-Diribe with helping him with his technique that season.
Now, Uzo-Diribe is simply trying to absorb as much football knowledge as possible in order to take the next career step — whether it be in the college or pro game.
"Right now, it's still just football for me," he said. "I haven't really dissected it down to the point that I've made a decision on which one I might prefer. I just love being around the game."
There are, he admits, pros and cons to both.
"I love the college game because I get to have an influence on impressionable young men and help mold them into the men we all want them to be when they get older," he said. "When you have success in that area, it's a feeling you can't replace. But I also love the NFL game because it's the highest level of football, and everybody wants to be at the highest level someday. I definitely have aspirations to be there as well at some point."
But for now, he'll do his best to take advantage of the NFL's intern program, something that has provided a boost to literally hundreds of college and NFL coaches, including current CU cornerbacks coach Ashley Ambrose. Uzo-Diribe's long-term goal is to add his name to that list.
But his immediate goal is to go to the Niners' camp and bring back some coaching nuggets that will help the Buffs produce a winning season.
"I really hope to bring some things back we can incorporate here," he said. "There are some similar things they do there that we do here, and hopefully I can return with some little coaching points, maybe some things they do schematically that will help out here. I'll do my best to pick everyone's brain and see if there are some things that can help us this year."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
